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7 DAYS: 7 Reasons to Consider Blue Pencil !

Seven days…I know, it sounds like a certain horror movie:

But it’s not bad at all–and neither is a blue pencil editing session. There is much to be gained from putting a few pages of your work into the hands of another writer or editor. Here are some of the main ones that come to mind:

1. This is not your pitch, but it IS a chance to talk about your work.

2. This is not your mother…it’s an objective view about your words.

3. This is not your English teacher…it’s feedback from people who write!

4. This is VALUABLE feedback. In years past, many suggestions I’ve received have improved works that later won writing contests or found their way into print.

5. This is a chance to make a connection with another writer.

6. This is a chance to learn how to communicate with others about THEIR writing.

7. This is a treasure. Okay, maybe this is a weird personal one, but I value pages that have been marked up by amazing writers and poets like ZsuZsi Gartner and Evelyn Lau. (You might even sneak in an autograph too).

It takes guts to put your work out there…I get it–I still feel that every time I let someone have a peek at some of my work. But remember that what is to be gained by doing that outweighs any discomfort you may feel. Take the step of faith, put your words out there, and you might be surprised at what you learn!

7 Comments

Ah Ace… love you for this and love you for sitting with me as I waited for my first blue pencil. My additional input, once you have been through a blue pencil session you will be fearless about sharing your work. I will still be afraid as I slide the pages over to Robert Wiersema next week but I know it will make me a better writer.

Tricia, your positive attitude and energy encourage me too. It’s also amazing to see how giving and helpful the editors can be–maybe they’re even a little TOO nice to me sometimes. But yes, I agree, as you do more of them, it gets easier…never easy…but easier.

Yes, that’s GOLD! The areas they mention to work on improve the writing, but the positive comments really MOTIVATE too! And now your first NOVEL is out! Jack Whyte obviously knew what he was talking about…!